| SPORTS
by
Jack Kintner
Paciorek
now a Milwaukee Brewer
Blaine
senior Joey Paciorek inked a professional baseball contract
with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday of this week, four
days before he graduates from Blaine and four days after
being selected in the fifteenth round of the annual amateur
baseball draft.
Instead
of what he’d planned to
do if not drafted, firefighting school at Lower Columbia
Community College in Vancouver, Washington,
Paciorek
will leave Sunday for Phoenix and his rookie Arizona
League team, the Arizona Brewers.
“It’s
pretty exciting,” Paciorek said.
Though the details of his contract can’t be revealed
until it receives approval from the commissioner, a
source who declined to give his name described it as “well
into five figures,” adding that it also includes
a full college scholarship available whenever he decides
to go, even after he retires.
His
dad, Blaine assistant baseball coach Jim Paciorek, couldn’t
imagine a better way to spend Father’s
Day, and is also planning to move to Tucson, Arizona,
later this summer.
A
former Brewer himself, he played 46 games for them 20
years ago at first, third and in the outfield before
moving on to an impressive career in Japan.
“Joey’s
a much more complete ball player than I ever was,” he
said, “he’s faster and
stronger than I was. This is something he’s
worked for his whole life and I’m glad
he’s
getting the opportunity to try it out.”
Jim
started working with his son as a three-year-old
in T-ball, he said, adding that one of the most significant
influences in high school has been Blaine football coach
Jay Dodd.
“He
really got him going on conditioning and now he’s
a fanatic, really likes it,” Paciorek
said.
“Joey’s
been an absolute pleasure to work with,” thundered
Blaine high school vice-principal Scott Ellis.
Paciorek
is the second Blaine athlete in four years to be drafted
into the pro ranks. Luke Ridnour, Blaine high school
class of 2000, was drafted in the first round by the
NBA Seattle Sonics in 2003 after playing three years
at the University of Oregon.
“Despite
his outstanding talent he’s very much
a team player,” said Gary Clausen,
Blaine high school athletic director
and, for the past 27 years, head baseball
coach, adding that the only other player
he’s
seen here in that time who came close
to Joey’s level
was fourth generation Blaine native Brad
Wolten.
Paciorek
was chosen 461st out of nearly 1500 high school and college
players picked by the 30 major league
clubs after trying out for the Brewers
at Miller Stadium in Milwaukee earlier
this month along with 35 other players,
where Paciorek said he “fit right
in, felt good about how I did.”
Brewers
scout Brandon Newell, oldest of Blaine
high school principal Dan Newell’s
four boys and someone who has known
Joey for many years, said that the
try-out showed him off well to the
Milwaukee brass, including Brewers
manager Ned Yost.
“Joey’s
got a strong arm to go with his
very good athleticism and his hitting
ability. He’ll show
you 86 mph [pitches] on the mound,
which shows a good strong arm,
and he’s got very athletic.
He showed very good reaction time,
and we feel very, very fortunate
to have signed him.”
He
added that Paciorek will be at third
base, “which
is a step-and-dive position.
That’s
about all you have time to do,
defensively, so his quickness
will help.”
A
batted ball goes roughly the same speed as
the pitch, which means that
a hit from the typical major league
fastball reaches the third
baseman in less than half a second.
Newell
arranged to meet Joey and his dad at the Blaine high
school office at 2 p.m. Monday
afternoon for the signing. “Joey
really got serious about his
conditioning under Coach Dodd,” Newell
said, “he really stepped
up his work ethic. That’s
what got him into pro ball.
Newell also said that “He’s got a lot of speed
for someone so big (6’2” and
225 pounds),” comparing
him to St. Louis Cardinal
third baseman Scott Rolen.
“With
his athleticism, size,
speed and especially hitting ability
I fully expect him to
end up in the majors,” said
Newell, who was an all-state
pitcher at Nooksack High
School for two years
and was drafted by both the
Seattle Mariners and
New York Mets.
He
graduated in 1990, the year Blaine won its last
state baseball championship
and the year Newell’s father
became principal at
Blaine high school.
Paciorek’s
signing caps a stellar high
school career. He set a record
his sophomore year,
when Blaine finished third in
the state tournament,
batting .514, and broke it this
year with a .516
average despite being thrown
mostly garbage by opposing pitchers.
Over
the 90 games played in his four years on the
varsity he got 76 singles,
33 doubles, nine triples
and nine home runs for 127
hits in 264 at bats while
striking out just 24 times.
He stole 39 bases in 47 attempts.
He was all-league all four
years.
As
a pitcher Paciorek showed good speed and movement, eventually
getting his fastball up into the mid to high 80 mph range.
Even in the minors he’ll face pitchers capable
of throwing well over
90, but should adjust to that and to the faster pace at which
the overall game is played early in the season.
Tom,
John and Jim Paciorek grew up in Detroit’s Polish
community and
were all known as hitters, as are Joey’s
three cousins
who have also played professionally.
“The
apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree,” said
Brandon Newell, “so
this pedigree
really means
something.”
Paciorek
travels to
Phoenix this
weekend and
will play
in the season
opener six
days later
on Saturday,
June 23,
against the
Oakland A’s rookie team.
The
nine-team league also has representatives from the American
League Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres,
Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, as well as from
the National League Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.
The 56-game season lasts through August.
For
the first half of the season games are at 10:30 a.m.,
and for the second, beginning July 28, games start at
7 p.m.
The
team’s home field, also the Milwaukee
Brewer’s
spring
practice facility, is the 56-acre Maryvale baseball complex
in northwest Phoenix.
The main stadium seats
7,000 fans plus another
1,000 on the lawn outside
the outfield fence. By
comparison, Bellingham’s
Joe Martin stadium seats
just over 1,800.
Julie
Meaker chosen for all-county track team
Blaine senior Julie Meaker was chosen for the all-Whatcom
County track team on the strength of her consistent results
in finishing sixth in the 400 and anchoring the 4 x 200
relay team to a seventh place finish.
Both results came at the state AA track meet in Tacoma.
She also qualified for the state meet in the 100 meter
dash.
Meaker said she plans on attending Western Washington
University in the fall where she will continue running
for their NCAA Division II track team. |
